Tau Ceti

Location: Tau Ceti SystemStellar Data: G TypeDistance from Earth: 19.4 light yearsGalactic co-ordinates: 13 degrees Galactic South WestColonisation Data: First wave left Earth in 2050 arriving
2090. Tau Ceti III colony lost within ninety years due to plague. This was to
become the first major disaster in man’s involvement with space. Soon after, a
second expedition met with an even worse fate...Excerpt from Encyclopaedia Galactica

Man’s first colony on Tau Ceti III was wiped out by a previously
undiscovered plague. When a cure was found, a second expedition left for the
world. Unfortunately, the planet’s automatic self defence system had
malfunctioned meantime, and the ships of the second expedition and all the
colonists were wiped out. After much deliberation back on earth it was decided
that a small one-man vessel might manage to penetrate the defence screens and
shut down the central nuclear reactor which powers the robot guards. A tricky
mission — but it just might be possible. ‘Like a fool, you volunteered,’ as it
says on the box cover.

Tau Ceti is a complex game to play. You control a Skimmer, and
begin from a docking bay in a city on Tau Ceti III. Basically, you have to
wander around this and other cities finding and collecting cooling rods which
need to be installed in the planet’s main fusion reactor in order to shut it
down. Once the reactor has been switched off, the guardian robots will cease to
prowl the planet’s surface and colonists will be able to move back in
safety.

Your view into the game is from the cockpit of the skimmer. The display is
dominated by your viewing window which shows the surroundings in a shaded, 3D
perspective. Below this window is a communications screen used for entering
commands into the skimmer’s controls and for receiving system messages such as
‘missile launched’. To the right of this smaller window are two orientation
markers and ship’s status indicators. Here the shield strength, skimmer height,
fuel level, laser temperature, speed and weapon inventory are all immediately
visible to the player.

Above this is another window which displays a radar map of the skimmer’s
current location. Finally, at the top of the right hand part of the screen a
compass, view indicator and clock are found.

The main screen can present
a view out onto the planet which may be to the front, back or to either side of
the skimmer. A map of the planet and the links between the cities can also be
called up and zoomed in and out of, and when it comes to manipulating the
cooling rods, it’s all done from the viewscreen. You can also make notes in
this area of the screen.

Various kinds of robot inhabit the different
cities, including prowling flying saucers. Some are harmless, but most will
send laser bolts plummeting into your sides immediately. The only answer to
such action is return fire. Your lasers have to be aimed but, unless they are
damaged, they last forever. Missiles, once fired, home in for the kill — but
you only have a limited supply. Take your pick. A successful hit turns your
target into a shower of shimmering pixels which slowly fall to the ground.

As the day progresses the angle of the sun changes and the shadows cast by
buildings and the way in which objects are illuminated alters. At night,
because of the graphic technique involved, most robots and buildings become
practically invisible. To counter this, you can use infra red to view the
world. This lasts for as long as you need it, but tends to leave after images
on the screen. Flares, on the other hand, are as good as daylight for a while,
but there are only a few of these.

To get from one city to another, you have to reach certain nexus points.
Docking the ship in one of these gives you a rest, more fuel and the
opportunity to reach other cities in the network.

Producer: CRLPrice: £9.95Language: machine codeAuthor: Pete Cooke

CRITICISM

‘The graphics featured in this game are very good, in fact they’re some of the
best filled-in graphics I’ve seen on the Spectrum. The shading, which alters
depending on the position of the sun, adds to the realism. The only thing that
lets the game down is the sound, which is slightly disappointing. Every once in
a while, a new game comes along which is destined to become a classic;
Tau Ceti is on the same par with games such as Elite
and Lords of Midnight. The depth and the complexity of the game
make a sure fire winner with people who like involving software, but for me the
nice touches make the program worth while — like infra red mode and the note
pad. Though the game is complex, it is very easy to get into once you have
mastered the controls of the craft.’

‘Tau Ceti is one of the best games I have seen for a long stretch
of time. The game just oozes originality. Even the scenario is original. When
it first loaded up I was amazed at the display as it bore little resemblance to
any style of graphic I had previously seen on the Spectrum. Seeing a saucer
glide gracefully across the screen with the shading adjusting, according to its
relative position to the sun, is just amazing. The sense of reality is something
to behold indeed. Normally, after such an amazing technical show, I’d expect the
actual game to be of a below average standard. Not so. The game shows a depth
of design normally found only in arcade machines. Blasting alien artefacts is
fun and the section with the damping rods is very good, showing some
similarities with Impossible Mission’s puzzle section. Definitely
worthy of space on anyone’s software rack.’

‘Superb game. What else can you say about something that captures the
imagination so brilliantly and has no flaws at all. This is the kind of game
that just doesn’t date. There are too many good features and no sickly
gimmicks. When we saw the preview version, I suspected that it would be
excellent but it has far surpassed anyone’s expectations. Pete Cooke should go
far. He has brought us a game that will be remembered as an all time classic.
There’s not much more to say.’

Looking out onto the planet’s surface in TAU CETI. The stars shine brightly in the yellow sky adding an air of mystery to the weird buildings to be found. Waxing poetic, you go out to destroy the nasties

TAU CETI. You start the game docked with the Gal Corp lander, safe and snug — but this state of affairs doesn’t last long...